Elliott Weix
@weix.us
Studying biochemistry and mathematics. Yeast synthetic biology research in the Coyle Lab @ UW-Madison.
More info at https://weix.us
More info at https://weix.us
Reposted by Elliott Weix
New in ACS SynBio: led by Dennis Bolshakov, we used the awesome power of yeast to define how expression levels, noise, and sequence program the dynamics of synthetic protein waves, allowing us to genetically encode new cellular timescales stable over generations!
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
December 17, 2025 at 3:24 PM
New in ACS SynBio: led by Dennis Bolshakov, we used the awesome power of yeast to define how expression levels, noise, and sequence program the dynamics of synthetic protein waves, allowing us to genetically encode new cellular timescales stable over generations!
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Thrilled that the lab's first @hhmijanelia.bsky.social project is up on bioRxiv! Story behind the story to follow. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Memory from variability: Heritable short-term cellular memory emerges from stochastic biochemical reaction networks
Cells exhibit a mysterious form of selective heritable short-term memory, influencing outcomes as diverse as cell fate decisions in embryos and environmental responses in cancer cells and bacteria. He...
www.biorxiv.org
January 2, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Thrilled that the lab's first @hhmijanelia.bsky.social project is up on bioRxiv! Story behind the story to follow. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
New preprint! We found that the flavin-dependent halogenase RebH catalyzes sequence-tolerant Trp bromination in peptides 🧪https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.694899v1
December 21, 2025 at 3:58 AM
New preprint! We found that the flavin-dependent halogenase RebH catalyzes sequence-tolerant Trp bromination in peptides 🧪https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.694899v1
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Congrats to Badger senior Evelyn Browning: a 2026 Marshall Scholar!👏 One of only 43 awardees in the country this year, she will investigate genetic variants related to neurodevelopmental conditions as a grad student at @cam.ac.uk & @sangerinstitute.bsky.social.
Senior will take next step in science with prestigious Marshall Scholarship
UW senior Evelyn Browning will use the scholarship to continue her research of genetic variants.
news.wisc.edu
December 9, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Congrats to Badger senior Evelyn Browning: a 2026 Marshall Scholar!👏 One of only 43 awardees in the country this year, she will investigate genetic variants related to neurodevelopmental conditions as a grad student at @cam.ac.uk & @sangerinstitute.bsky.social.
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Join us for Rohith Rajasekaran's (@born2raisecell.bsky.social) PhD thesis defense on Friday, Nov. 21! Rajasekaran's research was completed in the Coyle Lab (@cellraiser.bsky.social). More info: today.wisc.edu/events/view/...
IPiB Thesis Review: Rohith Rajasekaran | UW–Madison Events Calendar
today.wisc.edu
November 17, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Join us for Rohith Rajasekaran's (@born2raisecell.bsky.social) PhD thesis defense on Friday, Nov. 21! Rajasekaran's research was completed in the Coyle Lab (@cellraiser.bsky.social). More info: today.wisc.edu/events/view/...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Thrilled to share our work on the 🔥 single-celled predator Podophrya collini, which rewires its cell morphology to hunt more efficiently. Huge thanks to our amazing team—Amy, Lauren, Omaya, Marine, Mari, and especially Scott—for making this shine! ✨
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
November 18, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Thrilled to share our work on the 🔥 single-celled predator Podophrya collini, which rewires its cell morphology to hunt more efficiently. Huge thanks to our amazing team—Amy, Lauren, Omaya, Marine, Mari, and especially Scott—for making this shine! ✨
Reposted by Elliott Weix
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Not being a bit weird might be the weirdest thing of all 🐈⬛🤍
November 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Not being a bit weird might be the weirdest thing of all 🐈⬛🤍
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Barred owls are native to Wisconsin, but invasive out west. New UW–Madison research reveals they’re preying on at-risk species and disrupting entire ecosystems as they spread down the West Coast.
The barred owl’s westward migration threatens other species and a whole ecosystem, UW researchers find
A new study shows that the invasive predator feeds on 29 species given special conservation status by federal and state governments.
news.wisc.edu
November 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Barred owls are native to Wisconsin, but invasive out west. New UW–Madison research reveals they’re preying on at-risk species and disrupting entire ecosystems as they spread down the West Coast.
Reposted by Elliott Weix
🚨Just in press @asbmb.bsky.social JBC!🚨 Alex & Chioma's paper detailing the interaction of Fe(II) with an intact membrane His kinase for the first time! Binding stoichiometry ✅ Fe(II) structure ✅ Direct observation of selectivity ✅ Signal transmission pathway ✅ Read more here: tinyurl.com/49wdkecu
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Membrane Histidine Kinase BqsS/CarS Directly Senses Environmental Ferrous Iron (Fe2+)
Prokaryotic two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are widely utilized by bacteria to respond to their environment and are typically compose…
tinyurl.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:19 PM
🚨Just in press @asbmb.bsky.social JBC!🚨 Alex & Chioma's paper detailing the interaction of Fe(II) with an intact membrane His kinase for the first time! Binding stoichiometry ✅ Fe(II) structure ✅ Direct observation of selectivity ✅ Signal transmission pathway ✅ Read more here: tinyurl.com/49wdkecu
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Happy to share our latest work, led by Sierra Love and in collaboration with Melissa Jurica's lab at UCSC and @danglab.bsky.social at U. Minnesota-Twin Cities. This work was funded by the Edward P. Evans Foundation/EvansMDS.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A Yeast-Based High-Throughput Screening Platform for the Discovery of Novel pre-mRNA Splicing Modulators
Pre-mRNA splicing is a crucial process in eukaryotic gene expression, and splicing dysregulation has been linked to various diseases. However, very few small molecules have been discovered that can mo...
www.biorxiv.org
October 21, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Happy to share our latest work, led by Sierra Love and in collaboration with Melissa Jurica's lab at UCSC and @danglab.bsky.social at U. Minnesota-Twin Cities. This work was funded by the Edward P. Evans Foundation/EvansMDS.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Hi Everyone for the @asbmb.bsky.social 2026 annual meeting there is now a deferred payment option for federal employees and scientists impacted by the government shutdown. Information below and further details at the link.
www.asbmb.org/annual-meeti...
www.asbmb.org/annual-meeti...
Abstracts
www.asbmb.org
October 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Hi Everyone for the @asbmb.bsky.social 2026 annual meeting there is now a deferred payment option for federal employees and scientists impacted by the government shutdown. Information below and further details at the link.
www.asbmb.org/annual-meeti...
www.asbmb.org/annual-meeti...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Andrea A. Putnam, a UW School of Medicine and Public Health assistant professor of biomolecular chemistry, has been named a 2025 Packard Foundation Fellow in Science and Engineering. Congratulations, Dr. Putnam!
Andrea Putnam awarded 2025 Packard Fellowship - School of Medicine and Public Health
www.med.wisc.edu
October 16, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Andrea A. Putnam, a UW School of Medicine and Public Health assistant professor of biomolecular chemistry, has been named a 2025 Packard Foundation Fellow in Science and Engineering. Congratulations, Dr. Putnam!
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Hi structural biology friends @nucleosomepolice.bsky.social @kellythd-nguyen.bsky.social @sjorsscheres.bsky.social @bjgreber.bsky.social @cijilim.bsky.social @nogaleslab.bsky.social and many others...
August 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Hi structural biology friends @nucleosomepolice.bsky.social @kellythd-nguyen.bsky.social @sjorsscheres.bsky.social @bjgreber.bsky.social @cijilim.bsky.social @nogaleslab.bsky.social and many others...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Want to acquire #ExM images like this and help us understand the true extent of cytoskeletal diversity across the tree of life? This position might be for you!
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
With @dudinlab.bsky.social
@embl.org @biology-unige.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
With @dudinlab.bsky.social
@embl.org @biology-unige.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social
August 7, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Want to acquire #ExM images like this and help us understand the true extent of cytoskeletal diversity across the tree of life? This position might be for you!
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
With @dudinlab.bsky.social
@embl.org @biology-unige.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
With @dudinlab.bsky.social
@embl.org @biology-unige.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social
Reposted by Elliott Weix
1. Federal funding for research promotes tech, biomedical, and scientific discovery in the US, and provides training for the sci/tech workforce that has brought immeasurable wealth to the US over the past 75 years.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal
www.whitehouse.gov
August 8, 2025 at 1:13 AM
1. Federal funding for research promotes tech, biomedical, and scientific discovery in the US, and provides training for the sci/tech workforce that has brought immeasurable wealth to the US over the past 75 years.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Excited to share our latest: we engineered the reactivity of a bacterial E1-like enzyme for ATP-driven modification of C termini. Our tool mimics the logic of peptide bond formation in biology for precision modification of proteins in vitro. 🧪https://rdcu.be/ewN7C
Engineered reactivity of a bacterial E1-like enzyme enables ATP-driven modification of protein and peptide C termini
Nature Chemistry - In living systems, ATP provides an energetic driving force for protein synthesis and modification. Now, an engineered enzymatic tool has been developed for high-yield, ATP-driven...
rdcu.be
July 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Excited to share our latest: we engineered the reactivity of a bacterial E1-like enzyme for ATP-driven modification of C termini. Our tool mimics the logic of peptide bond formation in biology for precision modification of proteins in vitro. 🧪https://rdcu.be/ewN7C
Reposted by Elliott Weix
I wrote a quick-start guide for people to replicate this across the country. It was, in our experience, a very effective way to get real action in a short amount of time.
People are willing to talk to scientists! And when you provide everything, they are happy to contact their reps too. Try it!
People are willing to talk to scientists! And when you provide everything, they are happy to contact their reps too. Try it!
June 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I wrote a quick-start guide for people to replicate this across the country. It was, in our experience, a very effective way to get real action in a short amount of time.
People are willing to talk to scientists! And when you provide everything, they are happy to contact their reps too. Try it!
People are willing to talk to scientists! And when you provide everything, they are happy to contact their reps too. Try it!
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Congratulations to Rohith Rajasekaran, who was awarded a @uwmadisoncals.bsky.social Distinguished Graduate Fellowship! In the @cellraiser.bsky.social Lab, Rajasekaran focuses on the MinDE reaction-diffusion system. Learn more about his research: biochem.wisc.edu/2025/06/12/r...
Rohith Rajasekaran of the Coyle Lab is Awarded Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
The year-long fellowship will support Rajasekaran's research into how to repurpose cellular systems that exist in nature to engineer new functions into cells.
biochem.wisc.edu
June 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Congratulations to Rohith Rajasekaran, who was awarded a @uwmadisoncals.bsky.social Distinguished Graduate Fellowship! In the @cellraiser.bsky.social Lab, Rajasekaran focuses on the MinDE reaction-diffusion system. Learn more about his research: biochem.wisc.edu/2025/06/12/r...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Terrifying but also good fodder for undergraduate biochemistry course homework and exams...
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
Methane-powered sea spiders: Diverse, epibiotic methanotrophs serve as a source of nutrition for deep-sea methane seep Sericosura | PNAS
Methane seeps harbor uncharacterized animal–microbe symbioses with unique nutritional
strategies. Three undescribed sea spider species (family Ammo...
www.pnas.org
June 18, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Terrifying but also good fodder for undergraduate biochemistry course homework and exams...
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Elliott Weix
🧬 New preprint out today, years in the making!
Rucker et al. traces ancient nitrogen fixation over 2 billion years through engineering & synthetic evolution. Supports reliability of N-isotope biosignatures on Earth & beyond.
Congrats @hollyrucker.bsky.social! 🚀
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Rucker et al. traces ancient nitrogen fixation over 2 billion years through engineering & synthetic evolution. Supports reliability of N-isotope biosignatures on Earth & beyond.
Congrats @hollyrucker.bsky.social! 🚀
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Persistent nitrogenase isotope signatures over two billion years of engineered evolution
Nitrogen isotope fractionation (e15N) in sedimentary rocks has provided evidence for biological nitrogen fixation, and thus primary productivity, on the early Earth. However, the extent to which molec...
www.biorxiv.org
May 27, 2025 at 7:23 PM
🧬 New preprint out today, years in the making!
Rucker et al. traces ancient nitrogen fixation over 2 billion years through engineering & synthetic evolution. Supports reliability of N-isotope biosignatures on Earth & beyond.
Congrats @hollyrucker.bsky.social! 🚀
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Rucker et al. traces ancient nitrogen fixation over 2 billion years through engineering & synthetic evolution. Supports reliability of N-isotope biosignatures on Earth & beyond.
Congrats @hollyrucker.bsky.social! 🚀
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Listen to Karolin!
this 👇 makes my point. Industry, speak up already. you arent shy when it comes to protecting your profits and privileges? so why not protect your vital pipeline?
The war on science in the US is already having an effect on private sector research like AlphaFold. Bears repeating but the private sector builds on top of things created by academic research for the public good. This hurts everyone.
May 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Listen to Karolin!
Reposted by Elliott Weix
Friendly amendment: May was brutal for the US. Trump sowed mass fear and confusion with a slew of illegal and unconstitutional orders. He faced no consequences other than being asked nicely to please stop, and so of course he continues to do destroy our country with this exact same playbook.
Stunning. May was brutal for Trump in federal court: 96% loss rate ⚖️. Even GOP-appointed judges have ruled against the admin 72% of the time. District courts are doing their job defending the Constitution. Soon the Supreme Court may be the only court unwilling to defend the rule of law.
May 25, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Friendly amendment: May was brutal for the US. Trump sowed mass fear and confusion with a slew of illegal and unconstitutional orders. He faced no consequences other than being asked nicely to please stop, and so of course he continues to do destroy our country with this exact same playbook.
Reposted by Elliott Weix
In the latest #Yeast research article of the series #FantasticYeasts, Pei-Jie Han, Feng-Yan Bai & team describe a new yeast species isolated from a Chinese forest: Saccharomycopsis yichangensis, that can prey on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts 😲
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Saccharomycopsis yichangensis sp. nov., a Novel Predacious Yeast Species Isolated From Soil
Saccharomycopsis yichangensis sp. nov. occurs in soil from a subtropical forest in central China. This novel species is homothallic and produces asci containing four spheroidal ascospores, which can ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 22, 2025 at 9:21 AM
In the latest #Yeast research article of the series #FantasticYeasts, Pei-Jie Han, Feng-Yan Bai & team describe a new yeast species isolated from a Chinese forest: Saccharomycopsis yichangensis, that can prey on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts 😲
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Elliott Weix
This is absolutely terrible news.
With the shifting regulatory climate (i.e., antivax ratfuckery), Moderna has withdrawn their application for their eagerly anticipated COVID-flu combo vaccine. This vaccine offered better protection than getting each shot separately.
h/t @merz.bsky.social
With the shifting regulatory climate (i.e., antivax ratfuckery), Moderna has withdrawn their application for their eagerly anticipated COVID-flu combo vaccine. This vaccine offered better protection than getting each shot separately.
h/t @merz.bsky.social
Moderna withdraws application for COVID-flu combination vaccine
Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate after discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
www.reuters.com
May 22, 2025 at 6:46 AM
This is absolutely terrible news.
With the shifting regulatory climate (i.e., antivax ratfuckery), Moderna has withdrawn their application for their eagerly anticipated COVID-flu combo vaccine. This vaccine offered better protection than getting each shot separately.
h/t @merz.bsky.social
With the shifting regulatory climate (i.e., antivax ratfuckery), Moderna has withdrawn their application for their eagerly anticipated COVID-flu combo vaccine. This vaccine offered better protection than getting each shot separately.
h/t @merz.bsky.social